Physical Bibles

John Lee

May 22, 2018

A while back we encouraged the use of physical Bibles rather than digital ones, at home, at church, wherever. There’s a qualitative aspect that’s different when you have a physical, weighty, book with physical pages to turn and that you can mark up with a pen or highlighter. It somehow feels more real and meaningful.

So to encourage us towards having and using our own physical Bible, we've stopped displaying the text during the reading of Scripture during Sunday service and have made Bibles in the back available for use (or keeps if you need one!). But I was tuned into another reason to use a physical Bible after I read this article. And that reason is this:

“It allows you to leave behind a tangible link to your faith. When you have run your race and received your reward, your Bible will live on as a testimony to your interests, to your character, and ultimately, to your Christian profession.”

If you’re like me, maybe you don’t care too much about the legacy of faith that you’re leaving behind, but I realize that perhaps it can be more important than I think. As a parent, one of the things that I want to be obedient to is teaching my child about God:

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” – Deuteronomy 6:5-7

I can see how my Bible, the condition it’s in, the highlights that are made, the scribbles written in the margins, the wear and tear, even smell of it can potentially communicate to my child about my faith and who I was long after I’m gone. And hopefully that can be encouraging and edifying for him and for anyone else who would happen to come across it. So go dust off your Bibles or get yourself one and start using it!